MassVoter.com← Somerville City CouncilSomerville Former City Councilor
Stephanie Hirsch
At-large · 2 terms in this record
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Council terms
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Start my ballot →Record at a glance · 2020–2021 Council
How these numbers work
- Counted from the official minutes, for 2020–2021 Council only. Committee meetings and routine votes (adjourning, approving minutes) are not counted.
- Attendance counts the meetings where the minutes list Hirsch as present or absent at the start.
- Only votes the minutes record member by member are counted. Voice votes and votes given only as a count (for example 6-3 with no names) are not.
- Percentages are shown only when there are at least 10 meetings or votes to count.
- A split vote is one where at least one member voted yes and another voted no. “In the minority” means on the side with fewer votes; ties are not counted.
- “Whole council” combines every member’s record for the same term.
These numbers describe the record; they are not a grade. A no vote, an abstention or a minority vote is neither good nor bad. MassVoter never rates officials.
Attendance
At the start of 9 of 9 City Council meetings in 2020–2021 Council.
Missed none.
Every meeting (9)
- Apr 28, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Apr 7, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Mar 26, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Mar 12, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Feb 25, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Feb 13, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Jan 23, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Jan 9, 2020 · Regular: Present
- Jan 6, 2020 · Regular: Present
Votes where councilors disagreed · 2020–2021 Council
Apr 28Requesting confirmation of the appointment of Ella Samson to…Failed 11–0 · Hirsch: Not recorded
April 28, 2020: Requesting confirmation of the appointment of Ella Samson to the Planning Board
The minutes record the result as “Not approved” but list every councilor voting under AYES (11 to 0). This may mean the council voted for a committee recommendation not to approve; the minutes do not say, so MassVoter shows the count only and will ask the City Clerk.
From the minutes
“RESULT: NOT APPROVED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, Rossetti, White Jr., McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen-Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne.”
Apr 28Requesting approval of an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
April 28, 2020: Requesting approval of an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to correct procedural requirements, unintended conflicts between regulations, numerical errors, or inadvertent omissions
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Scott, WhiteThe minutes list Mary Jo Rossetti as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: ORDINANCE ORDAINED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, White Jr., McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: Rossetti.”
Apr 28That the Director of the Council on Aging provide…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
April 28, 2020: That the Director of the Council on Aging provide this Council with updates and ways to help seniors living in our community
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Scott, WhiteThe minutes list Mary Jo Rossetti as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, White Jr., McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: Rossetti.”
Apr 28That the Superintendent of Schools update this Council on…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
April 28, 2020: That the Superintendent of Schools update this Council on how the school year is faring, best practices, projected changes, any ways to help, etc
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Scott, WhiteThe minutes list Mary Jo Rossetti as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, White Jr., McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: Rossetti.”
Apr 28That the Mayor consider increasing the minimum age for…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
April 28, 2020: That the Mayor consider increasing the minimum age for mandatory wearing of face masks to children over 5 years of age
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Scott, WhiteThe minutes list Mary Jo Rossetti as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, White Jr., McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: Rossetti.”
Mar 12Requesting acceptance of two easements over DCR land in…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
March 12, 2020: Requesting acceptance of two easements over DCR land in Assembly Square
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Rossetti, ScottThe minutes list William White as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED. [UNANIMOUS] (ID:22522) AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, Rossetti, McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: White Jr..”
Mar 12Requesting approval of an amendment to Ordinance 2-309.5 to…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
March 12, 2020: Requesting approval of an amendment to Ordinance 2-309.5 to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Veterans Commission on Monuments, Memorials and Dedications
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Rossetti, ScottThe minutes list William White as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: ORDINANCE ORDAINED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, Rossetti, McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: White Jr..”
Mar 12Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management submitting a draft…Passed 10–0 · Hirsch: Yes
March 12, 2020: Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management submitting a draft Ordinance to establish a Memorialization Committee
Voted: Yes
Yes: Ballantyne, Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, Mbah, McLaughlin, Niedergang, Rossetti, ScottThe minutes list William White as absent for this vote; left out of it.
From the minutes
“RESULT: ORDINANCE ORDAINED. [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Hirsch, Mbah, Rossetti, McLaughlin, Scott, Ewen- Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis, Ballantyne ABSENT: White Jr..”
Feb 13Requesting the appropriation of $250,000 from Unreserved Fund Balance…Passed 7–3 · Hirsch: Yes
February 13, 2020: Requesting the appropriation of $250,000 from Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Conway Park Construction Special Revenue Account in order to fund Conway Park fields design services
Voted: Yes
Yes: Clingan, Davis, Ewen-Campen, Hirsch, McLaughlin, Niedergang, WhiteNo: Ballantyne, Rossetti, Scott
From the minutes
“RESULT: APPROVED. [7 TO 3] AYES: Hirsch, White Jr., McLaughlin, Ewen-Campen, Clingan, Niedergang, Davis NAYS: Rossetti, Scott, Ballantyne ABSENT: Mbah.”
Votes with no disagreement (117)
From the Somerville City Council’s official minutes, posted on the city’s Legistar meeting calendar (July 2022 on) and its older meeting portal (2010 to mid-2022), both linked from the City Council page on somervillema.gov. We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Councilor photos: City of Somerville (somervillema.gov) official headshots for Ben Ewen-Campen, Jesse Clingan, Lance Davis, Wilfred Mbah, Naima Sait, J.T. Scott and Kristen Strezo; The Somerville Times (thesomervilletimes.com) for Emily Hardt, Jon Link, Matthew McLaughlin and Ben Wheeler. Former councilors show initials.
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